How to Feel Happier and Healthier by Strengthening Your Immunity

I just got back from a divinely relaxing week of studying Yoga and Zen at Esalen. The theme of the week was “Staying True”.

And I’d just been given the analogy of staying true – as in truing the wheel of a bicycle – from an altogether different kind of teacher just the week before!

So it got me thinking about truth – and how slowing down enough to Deeply Rest is what aligns me back to my personal truth every time I do it.

Or, really I should say every time I’m willing to do it.

Because it’s inevitable that alongside deep rest comes deep judgment, deep guilt, and an onslaught of “shoulds” over what else I should be doing, or how else I could be spending my time.

That way of thinking takes me completely out of the present moment, and straight into anxiety, depression, fear, resentment, disappointment, etc…

Can you relate??

So these days, I have an answer to that way of “shoulding” myself and getting mired down in limited thinking.

My answer is… Screw Guilt!

I love myself, and I value feeling good. So Guilt… listen up…

You can go fuck yourself about what I ate for dinner last night, stop giving me a hard time for taking time to practice self-care, and up yours around spending quality time on making me be a better ME.

Ha! It feels good to take a stand 🙂

Strengthen Your Immunity the Ayurvedic Way

Guilt is actually a very depleting emotion when looked at from an Ayurvedic perspective. It keeps you stuck in your head, wears on your kidney chi, and depletes your vitality.

And in the unbelievably fast-moving society we live in, we need to strengthen our immunity, not deplete it.

So if you’ve been falling prey to the terrible colds and flu that’s been going around the U.S., you need deep rest more than ever.

Deep rest is a tried and true Ayurvedic remedy for weakened or compromised immunity.

Did you know the lymphatic system (i.e. your immune system) needs 12 hours of deep, complete, and uninterrupted rest to recover from illness or being compromised?

It’s really not that long… but it’s easy to talk yourself out of doing it and have a million excuses for why such a long period of rest isn’t possible for you.

So I’ll say it again… screw that : )

Your Simple Self-Care Plan

Take this message today and carve out some time for YOU. Even if it’s 3 weeks away from now. Even if it’s 6 months away from now! Even if you’re not in danger of getting the flu!

Get 12-hours of uninterrupted self-care time on your calendar.

It can be a mellow walk in the woods followed by a hot bath, warm soup, and sleep.

Or it can be binge-watching your favorite show in a totally guilt-free environment while simultaneously nourishing your body with especially good (and warming) food.

It doesn’t matter what – as long as it translates into deep rest for YOU. Sleep can be a part of it… just make sure you also take some moments to be awake and in loving awareness of your mind/body/heart, too.

And… yes, you might have to speak to the guilt or shoulds that arise. I find that a simple, “Thanks for sharing, I’m choosing this now” works really well.

Love you!

Love, Talya

P.S. I’ll be saying more about this topic, offering you even more ways to strengthen your immunity, and talking about lots of other fun Ayurvedic teachings too… on my new weekly Facebook Live show!

It’s happening every Thursday at 1 pm PST.Watch it live if you can – I’d love to see you there!